Traffic marker



Sept 25 1923,

l... J. BETTS TRAFFIC MARKER Filed Aug. 25, 1922 Patented Sept. 25, E923.

warren" mm:

new

earner orr ca.

LOUIS J. BETTS. OF WARREN, PENNSYLVANIA.

I TRAFFIC MARKER.

a neaaon mea August 25, 1922. Serial No. ssaaoi.

, cipal object the provision of a device of the character designated which may be easily and quickly removed and replaced leaving the surface of the street or roadway smooth for traflic.

Another object of the invention is the construction of a traflic marker having an anchor block adapted to be embedded in the ground and to be 'flush with the surface of the roadway when the trafiic marker is removed therefrom, said traflic marker and anchor block having cooperating lockingmeans whereby said marker is detachably secured to the anchor block. i

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a two-part traflic marker having a base detachably locked to the anchor block by means accessible from within said base, and a cover for said base housing said lockin means and detachably secured to'the base y latching .means carried entirely within said base and cover. I

A further object of the invention resides in the novel means by which the cover. of the trafiic marker is secured to the base.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the improved traflic marker illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification, and particularly i claimed, and in such variations and modlfications thereof as will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which my invention relates.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, and wherein the referred embodiment of my invention is i1 ustrated:'

Figure l is across section of my improved trafic marker.

Figure 2 is a broken away.

Figure. 3 block. I

Figure 4 is a detail in cross section showing one of the attaching lugs of the cover.

plan View, parts being s a plan view of the' anchor Figure 5 is a detail view in section showing the otherof the attaching lugs about to be passed through the recess in the base.

Figure 6 is a side view partly in section showing the latching means held in released position b a tool.

Figure is a section on the line 77 of Figure 1 showing the latching means in latched position.

Referring now in figures the numeral 1 represents portions of a paved roadway having one of the paving blocks removed therefrom forming a hole 2 which is filled with concrete and in which the anchor block 3 isembedded. Said detail to the several anchor block is constituted by a hollow casting having apertures 1: through the oppo site walls thereof into which the concrete is forced by pressin the anchor block into the concrete fi led ho e, forming a key by means of which the anchor block is irremovably located. The top surface of the anchor block is made flush with the surface of the paved roadway and is cast with a rectangular depression 5 a part of which is overhun by the inwardly extending flange 6.-

The marker comprises two arts, a base 7 and a cover 8. The base 7 is'ln the form of the segment of a cone and is provided with a pair of diametrically disposed webs 9 and 10, formed at their point of intersection with a hollow hub 11 through which passes the bolt .12. The base of the marker is sitioned by placin the head 13 of the ho t in the rectangular epression 5 and then sliding the bolt until the head of the bolt enages, beneath the overhanging flange 6'.

he base is then placed over bolt 12 which is passed thru hollow hub 11 and is then lowered into position. The projecting portion 14 of the -.web 10 will then slide into the rectangular depression v5, the function of said ro'ecting portion serving to retain the b0 t neath said overhanging flange. .A nut 15 is threaded on the upper end of the bolt 12,, which when tightened pering with the nut 15 the cover provided havin the form of the segment of a sphere and tting the base 7 so that when the two parts of the marker are placed together the surface thereof will be of smooth and continuous curvature. The cover 8 is provided with a pair of lugs 16 and 17 arranged at diametrically opposite points, and the base 7 is provided with a slot 18 for permitting the passage therethrough of one of these lugs. The cover is put in place by first tilting it so that the lug 17 may engage beneath the inner edge of the base 7 as clearly shown in Figure at. The cover is then lowered to a horizontal position until the lug 16 passes through the slot 18, as shown in Figure-5. A lug 28 projects inwardly from the base adjacent the slot 18.

' The cover is then given a slight rotation so that the lug 16 passes out or registry with the slot 18 and engages the inner wall of the base 7 adjacent said slot. The lug 28 makes it necessary to turn the cover in the right direction. As will be observed from Figure 2 the lugsl6 and 17 and the slot 18 are so positioned that after an angular movement of the cover amounting to but a few degrees the lugs 16 and 17 abut against the web 9 making further rotation of the cover in one direction impossible.

In order to prevent rotation of the cover to the left after it has been moved to its extreme position in a clockwise direction as shown in Figure 2, latching means are provided consisting of a bar 19, which is pivotally mounted upon the web 10 by means of the pivot bolt 20. This bolt passes through the-bar 19 closer to one end of the latter than the other so that the bar is out of balance, the inner end 21 bein the heavier and causing the bar to normally assume a position in which the outer end 22 projects above the plane of separation between the base and cover.

The cover 8 is provided with a lug 23, shown in Figures 1, 2 and 7 so positioned that when the lug 16 falls into the slot 18 the lug 23 will descend upon the outer end of the bar 19 depressing the same to a substantially horizontal position as shown in Figure 6. The lug 23 is also made of such width that it remains'in engagementwith the outer end of the bar 19 from the time when the lug 16 enters the slot 18 until it is displaced to its extreme position in abut ment with the web 9. At this point, however, the lug 23 terminates in an abrupt vertical shoulder permittting the outer end of the bar 19 to riseadjacent said shoulder forming a barrier to the return movement of said lug and cover. The cover is removed by inserting a small wire or rod 24 through an aperture 25 in the cover which lies above the outer end of the bar 19, by means oi 1 which wire or rod the end of said bar may be depressed so as to clear the shoulder of rename the lug 23. By means of a suitable tool insorted through the apertures 26 and 27, the cover may then be rotated counter-clockwise until the lug 16 abuts against lug 28 said lug 16 coming into registry with the depression 18, at which point the cover may be lifted. This gives access t the nut 15, byloosening which the base 7 may be detached from the anchor block and removed.

The depression 5 in the anchor block is made deeper and wider than the head'13 of the bolt so that the presence. of a small amount of dirt or other foreign matter within the depression will not interfere with the insertion of the bolt. This is'an important feature as it is often desirable to remove the traflic marker for a season, during which time the depression 5 will become clogged with dirt or road material which must be dug out before it is possible to replace the trafiic-marker. It is comparatively easy to roughly clean out said depression while it would be a laborious and time consuming undertaking were it necessary to clean it out perfectly.

By means of the above described construction it is possible to anchor the tratiic marker in such manner as to prevent its displacement either by lifting, sliding or rotation, and to so house and conceal the locking means as to render them inaccessible to any but authorized parties. Moreover, the latching means being entirely carried within the marker is protected from damage by trailic or by exposure to weather. When the traflic marker is removed the street is left smooth and Without any projection or other feature which would be detrimental t the safety or convenience of trailic.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is I 1. Tncombination, a trafiic marker, an anchor bloc-k formed in its upper face with a recess bounded by an undercut portion. said marker being provided with means for entering and obstructing the unoccupied art of said recess when the locking means is within said undercut'portion.

2. In combination, a tramc marker and an anchor block, said anchor block being adapt ed to be positioned flush with thesurface of a roadway and being provided in its upper face with a recess bounded by an undercut portion adjacent one end, a bolt carried by said traiiic marker having a head adapted to enter said recess and pass into said undercut portion and means engageable with said tramc marker for clampably holding said bolt against said flange.

3. In combination, a tratlic marker and an anchor block, said anchor block being adapted to be positioned flush with the surface of a roadway and being provided in its upper face with a recess bounded by an undercut portion, a bolt for said traific marker having a head adapted to enter said recess and passbeneath said undercut portion, said recess being of greater dimensions than said head. and means engageable with said traflic marker for clamping said bolt against said flange.

4. In combination, an anchor block and a two-part traffic marker including a base portion provided with means for securing the same to said anchor block and a cover de-.

,tachably latched to said base and housing said securing means.

5. In'combination, an anchor block, a traffic marker, securing'means for said trafiic marker engageable with said anchor block, said trafiic marker and anchor block being formed with interengaging means cooperating with said securing means to prevent displacement of the latter by lifting, sliding or by rotation.

6. In combination, an anchor block formed with a recess in its upper surface fully open at one end and having a narrowed opening at the other end bounded by an overhanging flange, a traiiic marker provided with a transverse web, a bolt passing through said web, said bolt having a head adapted to enter the wide portion of said recess and slidable beneath said flange, said web being provided with a projection obstructing the wide portion of said recess when the traffic marker is in place and means cooperable with said web and with said bolt for detachably clamping said traffic marker to said anchor block.

7. A,traiiic marker comprising a base, means for detachably securing said base to an anchor block, and a cover detachably secured to said base and housing said securing means.

8. A two-part trafiic marker comprising a base. means carried within said base for securing said traffic marker to an anchor blocln. a cover for said base housing said securing means and cooperating means carried within said base and cover for detachably latching said cover in position. i

9. A two-part traffic marker comprising a base. having a circular opening at the top, means within said base for securing it to an anchor block, a rotatable cover fitting the circular opening in said base. said base being provided with a slot at the edge of said circular opening. said cover being provided with spaced lugs. one of said lugs being passable through said slot. said cover being secured in place by rotating the same to cause said lug to engage the inner wall of base at one side of said slot.

10.;41 two-part trafiic marker, comprishollow base having conical inner and outer walls and provided with a. circular opening in the top. means carried within said base for securing it to an. anchor block, said securing means being accessible through said said lug engages to limit the rotation of said cover in one direction and a latch engageable with said cover when the limit of rotation in said direction is reached to prevent rotation in the other directiom 11. A two-part trafiic marker, comprising a hollow base having conical inner and outer walls and provided with a circular opening in the top, means carried within said base for securing it to an anchor block, said securing means being accessible through said circular opening, a cover fitting said circular opening, and means for securing said cover to said base carried within said base and cover, comprising a recess formed in the wall of said circular opening and a lug carried by said cover passable through said recess and engageable with the inner wall of said base when rotated to one side of said recess, rigid means with which said lug engages to limit the rotation of said cover in one direction and a latch comprising a weighted swinging member having an end engageable with a projection on said cover when the latter has reached its limit of rotation in one direction to prevent its rotation in the other.

12. A two-part traffic marker comprising a hollow base having conical inner and outer walls and provided with a circular opening in the top, means carried within said base for securing it to an anchor block, said securing means being accessible through said circu lar opening a cover fitting said circular opening, means for securing said cover to said base carried within said base and cover, comprising a recess formed in the wall of said circular opening and a lug carried by said cover passable through said recess and engageable with the inner wall of said base when rotated to one side of said recess, rigid means with which said lug engages to limit the rotation of said'cover in one direction and a latch con'iprising a weighted swin ing member having an end engageable wit a projection on said cover when the latter has reached its limit of rotation in one direction to prevent its rotation in the other. said cover being provided with means giving access to said latch for releasing it.

13. A two-part trathc marker comprising a hollow base having conical inner and outer walls and provided with a circular opening in the top, means carried within said base for securing it to an anchor block. said securing means being accessible through said Leearee jection on said cover When said lug is passed through said recess and engageable with the end of said projection when the cover has reached its limit of rotation in one direction to prevent its rotation in the other.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS J. BETTS. Witnesses:

SIDNEY D. BLACKMAN, ETHEL E. DONALDSON. 

